1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to rifle and pistol shooting practice target assemblies and, more particularly, to apparatus and method for facilitating improved target visibility.
2. Description of the Background
While conventional paper targets are typically lightweight, of relatively low cost, and of selectable size, they give rise to problems during shooting practice under certain ambient lighting situations and for certain types of pistol or rifle sighting methods. For instance, many modem pistols and rifles have laser pointers attached thereto for accurate aiming. In bright light conditions, such as bright sunshine, the dot produced on the target by the laser pointers may wash out so as to become indiscernible from a relatively short distance to the target. For instance, the laser sighting dot may wash out at a distance as short as fifteen yards in bright light depending on the power, color and type of the laser pointer. Thus, in bright light conditions, laser sighting becomes problematic with conventional paper targets.
On the other hand, for more traditional target shooting without using laser pointers, conventional paper targets become quite difficult to see and/or distinguish from the background in dim lighting conditions such as heavy cloud cover or dusk. Such conditions may also occur when the shooter is in bright sunlight and the targets are in a shaded area. Other situations where the target becomes difficult to see may depend on the various angles of the sun, the general terrain of the target area, and the orientation of the target shooting area to the sun.
The following patents relate to laser reflection but do not teach a suitable lightweight, very low cost target that is useable for target practice under a wide range of lighting conditions for which paper targets are unsuitable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,589,981, issued Dec. 31, 1996, to Kasser et al., discloses a retro-reflective target for laser ranging embodying at least one hollow cube comer retro-reflector constituted by three reflective surfaces which are substantially planar and perpendicular to each other and intersect at an apex with the cube corner retro-reflector being associated with a geometrical normal at the same angle to each of the edges.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,073,005, issued Dec. 17, 1991, to W. O. Hubbs, discloses a target for use in photogrammetry and automated theodolite systems comprising a rigid body having a support surface, a retro-reflective member comprising a tape-forming substrate having normally a rearward surface and a forward surface with an adhesive provided on the rear surface thereof for securing the same to the support surface of the target, and a mask-forming member having a rearward surface and a forward surface, the mask forming member is of greater area than that of the retro-reflective tape and the light reflective means provided thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,032, issued Jan. 7, 1997, to Powell et al., discloses a laser weapon simulator apparatus for practice in the shooting of a firearm at a target having reflective material thereon including a laser beam transmitter that is actuable to emit a laser beam of short duration, a laser beam receiver for collecting and processing a reflected portion of the laser beam, circuitry for detecting the emission of the laser beam by the transmitter and a visual display.
The above background art does not provide for a low cost practice target assembly that offers more dependable visibility in a wide range of lighting conditions and for use with or without a laser pointer. Those skilled in the art have long sought and will appreciate the present invention which provides solutions to these and other problems.